the "news nation" is following developing news at this hour. authorities are in the process of releasing 911 calls made the day adam lanza went on a shooting rampage. this follows a lengthy court battle, most of the victims families believe the calls should not be made public but a judge agreed they should be released. more on the battle that led us to this moment from rehema ellis. >> the school is in lockdown. >> see if the surrounding towns can send out personnel. >> reporter: emergency calls responding to call a sandy hook. these are the only recordings that most people have heard. today nearly a year later, 911

calls, including some from inside the school will be released for the first time. some family members of the victims appeared before a connecticut legislative task force resuggesting the 911 calls not be made. one of the teachers killed, and he thinks they have value. >> there will be less confusion and less people making up stories about what happened. >> others disagree saying it's too soon and too tragic. >> the 911 calls are going to sound like being there. in that sense they are the trauma again. >> reporter: on the day of the shooting, the associated press requested the 911 recordings from the newtown police, but they were denied. they appealed to connecticut's freedom of information commission which eventually ruled in their favor. the state's attorney here fought to keep the tapes from being

released. arguing in part they would deter others from calling 911 in the future. court ruled there was no merit to that claim. it's just the latest tragic reminder. last week the most comprehensive report on the incident was made public. all of this as the first anniversary approaches. still, russo says he needs to hear the tapes for themselves. >> they will not be secrets but facts. i'm better dealing with facts than the unknown. >> mr. russo also told nbc's rehema ellis, he knows the release will upset a lot of people and wishes it was not coming so close to the rear of the anniversary of the shooting, he doesn't want there to be secrets about what happened that day. nbc news will be reviewing the tapes but for now we're choosing not to air them due to the sensitivity of the issue. let's bring in michael

smerconnish. thank you for joining us here. i want to read a quote from senior vice president kathleen carroll regarding the push to make them public. it's important to remember that 911 tapes like other police documents are public records, reviewing them is a part of normal news gathering in a responsible news organization. your reaction as we await to hear more about these tapes that are to be released any minute now? >> emotionally i'm sympathetic as we think we are all to the parents lost in the tragedy. i get it. i get the judicial decision. i just read the freedom of information act commission report in connecticut and tamron, they saw it as a pretty straight forward matter. they said the connecticut law demands that public records be released. these are public records defined by the statute therefore they've got to be released and the fact that the connecticut legislature post sandy hook changed the law and kept off-limits communications between first

responders in a situation like this to the extent they were commenting on a homicide. but where the legislature hasn't protected this situation, the law says they've got to be handed over. >> michael, there are seven land line calls from inside the school at the time and they are expected to be released there. a part of what's going on as this community braces for the one-year anniversary on the 14th, the new school superintendent john reed sent a letter to parents in the district as well as staff and it said, i want you to have the opportunity to thirveg about steps, if any you may take to minimize media exposure for you and your family. i have not listened but i suspect it will be an emotional trigger. i remine confident by supporting one another with love and understanding we will continue to move forward as a school system and a community. to your point, michael, i don't know who would not understand why a parent would not want to

hear some of the things that perhaps will be captured on those 911 calls, that you have this what's seen as a public interest as well. when you read that, how can your heart not sink and think about those families. >> absolutely. those are are the privacy interests to which i referred. the public interest is one that was alluded to in your report, rumors begin only by touching the send key in the world in which we live. this was one of those instances where people floated pretty crazy stuff and the argument would be by releasing these tapes, we preserve the truth as grisly as it may have been as to what occurred. >> it does. we of course discussed the report regarding adam lanza and information released last week on his background and the investigation. for some people, they would rather the time be spent exploring mental health issues

and how to keep guns out of the hands of those who would do harm because they are suffering mentally and some of the other questions on how to prevent this. i think you have folks who wonder how the release of the 911 calls would prevent what happened there. >> well, look, a silver lining might be that in reality it's been a year and i don't think anything is changed about gun control or the way in which we regard mental health. maybe this will spur a conversation that's long overdue. >> thank you so much for joining us. i know it's difficult to talk about this. and the release of these 911 calls is the topic of our news nation gut check. we ask, we will tell you how you can share your thoughts on this later. you can always reach out to us through social media. we'll talk about this in gut check. we're also following two of the administration's new push to reboot its rollout of healthcare.gov. moments from nowed president will address a key group crucial

to the success of the law at the white house. youth summit as it called. they are enlisting the help of the young invincibles to spread the word to other young people to enroll in order to keep premiums low. earlier today the president touted health care while talking about higher education and ongoing budget battle. >> more people without insurance gained shurngs, 3 million young americans have been able to stay on their parents plan, more than half a million americans and counting poised to get coverage started on january 1st. some for the very first time. it is these numbers, not the ones in any poll, that will ultimately determine the fate of this law. >> meanwhile, a source familiar with the program confirms to nbc news that 29,000 people signed up the newly repaired healthcare.gov sunday and monday, a figure that surpasses the total for the entire month of october. still not clear how many of them were so-called the young invisibles and over on capitol

hill, house republicans continue their focus on the implementation of the law with four separate committee hearings on the affordable care act. nbc news without correspondent peter alexander joins us now. interesting to note, the president has said all along the issue of health care is about the economics as much as it is about what he sees as the right for people to have adequate health care. he incorporated that in this speech on the economy earlier. but this is a different strategy we're looking at here with these young people. >> earlier speaking before the group center for american progress and key allies of this president this afternoon, a short time from now, the focus will be on the young individuals and comes with a back drop of numbers that are concerning to members of the administration. a harvard kennedy school of government said a majority of these young mill lennials are afraid the affordable care act will cost them more but help them less. the care won't be as good.

that's an issue they are trying to turn around and turn into their favor as the president prepares to speak at this youth summit. they will focus on today the issue that people under the age of 26 get to keep their parent's coverage, get to be covered by their parents with preexisting conditions will be covered as well. these are issues that young people will relate to. on top of that was a statistic the white house aides are often note us about, the fact six in ten americans in their health care will pay less than they do a month for their cell phone bill. they think that's a significant number as well. but clearly this is an important figure because they need 40% of the young people to fill out their enrollment numbers, that 700 number, less important than the ratio that is ultimately delivered. >> thank you jarrett is introdu president right now. can we get a live picture?

>> let's listen in -- actually, the president is coming up. let me bring in quickly bill pafb rel. >> let's start with four new hearings today, the implementation of the health care law and website the focus for the president again, pushing the education, if you will, of what people can get with this law. >> as varied as the problems may be, tamron, we're going to definitely solve these problems, slow but sure. we came together, if you remember in 2005 and 2006 to begin the process of trying to solve the problems in the plan b of prescription drug bill. we did. it took us five years. we did it without the cooperation from the other side. doing away with pain and premiums and not getting benefits. this is serious business.

>> before the president starts the other side today the spokesperson for a speaker boehner, michael steele in a statement said that the strategy is they will continue to highlight individual stories about higher costs. i have to interrupt, the president is starting right now, i hope to get you back on. let's quickly listen in. >> everybody, sit down. good afternoon. this is a little bit of a rowdy bunch. it is wonderful to be with all of you and i couldn't be more appreciative of all of the stuff you were doing all across the country in your communities and organizations. there was a time when i was a young invincible. after five years in this office people don't call me that anymore. but i just want to drop by and

say thank you for everything you've done. and will do to spread the word about the affordable care act and what it means for young people. about a year ago i got a letter from a woman in her 20s and she just graduated from law school, thank you for making health care reform a priority. if you hadn't, you probably would have fewer gray hairs right now. >> that's a good point. but her story is a reminder that the law was worth it a few gray hairs. she was one of the 3.1 million young people that this law helped to cover because they could join their parents plan. that means that when she was diagnosed with a potentially deadly auto immune disorder, she got the care she needed, medications and blood transfusions and ultimately life saving surgery. >> she was able to stay in school and graduate first in her class and find a job in her field and i'm grateful because the affordable care act saved my

life and family from bankruptcy and gave me a future. that's what this law is about. health care that's there for you when you need it and financial protection for you and your family if you get sick. the security of knowing that an illness or accident is not going to completely derail your dreams. and there are a lot of benefits especially important to young people. insurance companies have to provide free preventive care and con tra septemberive care for women at no extra cost. if you want to take a chance to start your own business or start multiple careers like many young people do, particularly in this economy, before you settle down, you're not going to have to wonder whether or not you can do that because you're worried about coverage. when you do settle down and start a family, maternal care will be covered. if you're a woman, you won't be

charged twice as much as men because you're the one carrying the baby. so this law is already making a difference for millions of young people. and it's about to help millions more. about half a million people across the country already are poised to gain coverage on january 1st, some for the very first time. one recent article reported that a surprisingly large number of young people are signing up and there's a good reason for that. the law works. most young people without insurance can now get covered for under $100 a month. now, i am not allowed for security reasons to have an iphone. i don't know what your bills are. i have noticed that sasha and malia seem to spend a lot of time on it. my suspicion is that for a lot of you between your cable bill and phone bill, you're spending more than $100 a month. the idea that you wouldn't want

to make sure that you've got the health security and financial security that comes with health insurance for less than that price, you guys are smarter than that and most young people are as well. the product is good, affordable and people want financial stability of health insurance. we're going to keep working through any glitches, problems that may come up. obviously the website when it was first launched wasn't in tip-top shape to say the least. but we have been 24/7 going at it and now for the vast majority of users it's working. and there will be other things that come up during the course of the next several months because you're starting off a new program that has an impact on one sixth of the economy. this is a big deal to quote joe

biden. so -- [ laughter ] but we're going to keep on working on it and improving it and refining it. if we see a problem we're going to fix it. but we're not repealing it. not as long as i'm president. [ applause ] >> particularly because the folks criticizing it don't seem to have any ideas in terms of how to reduce costs and insure millions of people get cover for the first time. >> we're listening as president obama addresses 140 described as youth leaders. let's go back to bill pascrell. the president said the same thing yesterday, as long as he's president this law will not be repealed and moving full steam ahead. today we're hearing from speaker boehner's office and the strategy appears is that they continue to highlight individual stories about canceled plans and higher costs.

not reacting to the president's challenge and asking if there's a better idea. what's your reaction? >> speaker boehner was -- would move advance his position a lot further if he put in the good examples as well as the bad examples. we can all pick out situations that are horrific and cast -- the president is on course. this is not going to be repe repealed. the president is making changes and administration is making changes and they should. we not only have a problem in terms of rollout of this legislation of the aca, but we also have problems in terms -- we all know that, but look how long it took the social security system to get moving. look how long it took medicare and now, let's look to just plan b as i mentioned before. we cooperated even though we voted no on plan b, the drug bill. we cooperated. i went back to my district and met with seniors and told them

that's the law of the land. if it's the law of the land, let's implement it and not make excuses and the president is right. i said this in the hearing this morning, what in god's name is their plan? they don't have a plan. >> today on "morning joe", congressman of oklahoma says that the republicans are putting ideas on table but the quote was frankly the president has not put very many ideas on the table. this is his legislation not worked well. he's saying or claiming the republicans are putting kbrd ideas on the table. your reaction. >> we had ancient ideas. tom is a good friend of mine, one of the few republicans not afraid to look -- tom is dead wrong on this. i told him publicly and tell them again after his talk this morning and watched that very carefully this morning. the point is that they have no

bill they ever voted on before the house. i haven't seen any this year. we haven't voted on many things this year. bring it forward. somebody held it up in a meeting two weeks ago and they just said five days before that. we have no plan. this is a whole hodge poj of ideas voted down a long time ago, starting under the bush administration, privatization, privatization, privatization. this is within the private market and let's come together, unlike my governor in the state of new jersey who took the medicaid money and got it half right, and then took $7 million over something from the aca act to begin to educate folks in new jersey when we should have had an individual plan in new jersey, he chose not to do it. he didn't step up to the plate. not a bipartisan individual. we're talking about people life

or death. we're talking about health here. not talking about simply nibbling at the edges. your health is what is most important and it's of course we do have our health and pray for those who don't. this is an absurdity put forth by the republican governors and not going any place, look to the governors to the exchanges and put them in states doing more. $7 million unspent in the state of new jersey. this governor, the state of new jersey, for not going -- starting our own exchange, blew through $300 million. case closed. >> congressman pascrell. we greatly appreciate it. we're thankful you stuck around while we listened to the president. thank you. >> it's always a pleasure to be with you, always. >> a program note, chris matthews will interview president obama as part of the

"hardball" college tour live from american university. the full interview airs tomorrow on "hardball" at 7:00 p.m. a controversial bill that would ban insurance bans from covering abortions even in cases of rape, insist or mother's health. it is pitting the republican governor of the state against the republican legislature. we'll talk one of the people fighting the bill. the man accused of killing a tsa agent is making his first court appearance. pete williams will joins us with the latest on that. join the conversation on twitter at tamron hall and my team at newsnation. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation.

plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, like celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. don't take celebrex if you have bleeding in the stomach or intestine, or had an asthma attack, hives, other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex.

for a body in motion.

michigan's republican controlled legislature is considering a proposal that would ban insurers from covering

abortion coverage in the basic plans. from offering abortion sources unless women pay an extra fee in addition to their usual premium. if passed, the abortion insurance opt out act would not include any exceptions for cases of rape, incest or the mother's general health. according to the state's constitution, all it needs to pass is a simple majority vote and does not require the governor's signature. even if they reject it or does nothing, it will put on the ballot next year for voters to decide. joining me now, with progress michigan. thank you for your time. >> thanks for having me on. >> this group, the right to life received 300 signatures for this petition. and part of their argument is that they are not against the access to abortion but want to make sure that tax dollars are not going to be subsidizing

abortions here. your reaction to their assertion? >> that is basically an outright lie, no tax money goes towards paying abortions. essentially they have this exact legislation that the state legislature approved last year. however, governor rick snyder vetoed it because it saddles women unnecessarily with extra costs. what woman ever ands the victim of a crime or potentially being raped? what they want to do in order to avoid having the governor sign the bill, they had to get 3% of michigan's population to sign a petition saying that they believe in this legislation. what's next, they have 40 days to get the legislature to pass it. and because the legislature has voted and passed this legislation it's likely they'll do it again. >> the assertion from -- let me play in her own words, genevieve martin. let's play what she said regarding tax dollars here.

>> the impetus behind this is that we believe abortion is not health care and that tax dollars should not be going to subsidize abortion. this is not about the legality of abortion or access to abortion. it really is about who pays for it. >> federal law prohibits taxpayers money from directly funding abortion. we know that and the aca allows states to opt out of offering plans with abortion coverage here but it is an interesting note. you have the republican governor being pitted against the legislature run by republicans as well. >> it is certainly an interesting dynamic but it's really important to note that two different republican governors vetoed this legislation and one quoted was saying this went too far. that's exactly what it does. it goes way too far. it's wrong. >> it comes at a time when the numbers according to the detroit free press, regarding the numbers of abortions is what

they call the high, 49,000 in 1987 last year half that number, 23,000. 23,230. and i think what a lot of people struggle to understand with this legislation, that would not provide exemptions if it is to move forward for women with health issues and victims of rape and victims of incest. >> this legislation would encompetence women with he can topic pregnancy. barbara listing, the president of right to life compared this -- rape is not an accident. nobody anticipates being the victim of a crime. >> you refer to the president of right to life. her other statement is that o

abortion is not health care. >> i don't think anyone is advocating that abortion is health care, however, what they are trying to impede is women's access to quality health care. i really think it's up to the people from michigan to decide, let it go to the ballot measure. surveys show two thirds of people think it goes way too far. i'm certainly one of them. >> with progress michigan, thank you so much for your time. >> thanks for your time. >> a maryland university takes action against the fraternity after a student claims he was rejected for being gay. plus, december freeze. in fact, these are live pictures from denver, snow, ice, prij i had temperatures expected to grip parts of the south and midwest through the end of the week. one state seeing the temperature drop from the 70s today to the 20s tomorrow. we'll get an update. [ male announcer ] this is jim,

a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce afib-related stroke risk. but xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. that doesn't require routine blood monitoring.

so jim's not tied to that monitoring routine. [ gps ] proceed to the designated route. not today. [ male announcer ] for patients currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. xarelto® is just one pill a day taken with the evening meal. plus, with no known dietary restrictions, jim can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, without talking to the doctor who prescribes it as this may increase the risk of having a stroke. get help right away if you develop any symptoms like bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto® and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®,

tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. ♪ by the end of december, we'll be delivering ♪ ♪ through 12 blizzards blowing ♪ 8 front yards blinding ♪ 6 snowballs flying ♪ 5 packages addressed by toddlers ♪ ♪ that's a q ♪ 4 lightning bolts ♪ 3 creepy gnomes ♪ 2 angry geese ♪ and a giant blow-up snowman ♪ that kind of freaks me out [ beep ] [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans, you can even watch us get it there. ♪

the massive winter storm is expected to impact 30 million people over the next few days. duluth has seen more than 2 feet of snow with more expected and in dallas temperatures are expected to dip more than 40 degrees over the next 24 hours as the storm moves south. leanne gregg is in denver, colorado, not to harp on dallas because it's my home and looks terrible there, i can't believe upper 80s and we'll be in the 20s in 24 hours. it does not look pleasant in colorado. >> no, this is a massive storm affecting more than 25 states, including the entire state of colorado. right now it's about 8 degrees, which is jolting any time. but especially when you consider yesterday this time, it was almost 50 degrees warmer. so quite a harsh reality here that winter is in fact here for the entire week. the temperatures won't get out of the teens. again, this started yesterday

afternoon. the temperatures will continue to plummet down to sub zero today in denver. really, it's a cold event. the cold weather is the story but in the mountains, they'll get more than 2 feet of snow. the ski resorts are celebrating, they had to call off world cup training at beaver creek because there was too much snow. depending on where you live depends on how you feel about these conditions. traveling not so great. the road crews have been out all night trying to keep the roads clear, passable and treating them. the plows are out. but still many areas are quite treacherous. some dangerous driving conditions across the region. again, this system will be here for a while. temperatures will remain frigidly cold through the weekend. tamron? >> thank you so much. still ahead, are republicans running out of ammunition in the battle over health care? that's one of the questions from our first read team today. we'll dig into it. bank of am, which rewards her for responsibly managing

her card balance. before receiving $25 toward her balance each quarter for making more than her minimum payment on time each month. tracey got the bankamericard better balance rewards credit card, which fits nicely with everything else in life she has to balance. that's the benefit of responsibility. apply online or visit a bank of america near you.

hoo-hoo...hoo-hoo. hoo-hoo hoo. sir... i'll get it together i promise... heeheehee. jimmy: ronny, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? ronny:i'd say happier than the pillsbury doughboy on his way to a baking convention. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

frnlt the man accused of killing a tsa officer and wounding three others in last month's shooting rampage at the los angeles international airport made his first court appearance. let's go to justice correspondent pete williams. this was a routine appearance but what have we learned today? >> routine but delayed because he was only released a couple of weeks ago and this was advertise initial appearance to be formally advised of the charges. asked to be held without bail before the trial and that's something the judge granted and that's all that happened. no plea today. there will be another court appearance in a couple of weeks unless the government first files an indictment which i expect they will do and that would erase the need for the so-called hearing which was scheduled. so he'll be in court again for an arraignment later this month when he'll enter a plea.

it was more or less -- he was held without bail. back to politics and the question posed by our first read team. what do republicans do next in their battle against president obama's health care law, and are they beginning to run out of ammunition? joining me live now, senior political editor mark murray, it was one of the first reads that noted that part of the strategy problem for republicans regarding focusing heavily on the website was if it was repaired or if things start to run a bit more smoothly, where would they go here? we're seeing that strategy at least from speaker boehner's team saying that they plan to highlight what they still fear are low points regarding coverage for people. >> tamron, one of the biggest developments in the health care debate that everyone is running in place. resuscitate a lot of argument

wez saw in 2010 or 2012, senate democrats talking about how republicans want to privatize medicare and they are responding back that democrats ended up voting for medicare cuts in the health care law and relitigating things we had in 2010 and 2012. you are right, there was this big fear among republicans that once the website was fixed that all of a sudden the issue would perhaps go away and everyone would declare the health care wars are now over. let's move on to other things. in fairness to republicans they hit on other things beyond the website. they talked about how cancellation notices have gone out under the health care law and pointed to individual stories of people being hurt. by and large, we are kind of almost running in place right now with this website sort of working and things seem to have gotten back to their norms. >> that's so interesting, i'm happy you put it that way. i heard that same kind of feeling from a lot of people who feel this is now just the churn. is it churning towards an end,

meaning of course there will be people who debate the health care law forever? there are people who debate social security and medicare and so on and so forth here. but that perhaps after the holidays once we see these numbers in january that it is moving ahead as the president said, at least as long as he's in office there's no repeal here. >> i think it's going to be really interesting to look at the polls come january and february to see if the debate has changed, if the health care law numbers have gone up to where they were before the website turned out to be such a disaster for the administration. i think you'll be able to see maybe the politics have moved on a bit. one thing worth noting to the republican base is so fired up on this issue and looking at a lot of primary battles you're seeing in senate contests across the country, doesn't seem they want to let go. the question is whether independent swing voters decide to move on and look at other things. >> thank you very much. have a great day.

still ahead, dick cheney's first on camera comments about the feud between his doctors over same-sex marriage. plus, paying a price. >> my descriptions of my actions on that play are a lot of things, embarrassing, inexcusable, illegal. >> one day after apologizing steelers coach mike tomlin gets hit with a big fine for preventing what could have been a ravens touchdown. we'll tell you how much that stunt cost him. so i c

an reach ally bank 24/7, but there are no branches? 24/7. i'm sorry, i'm just really reluctant to try new things. really? what's wrong with trying new things? look! mommy's new vacuum! (cat screech) you feel that in your muscles? i do... drink water. it's a long story. well, not having branches let's us give you great rates and service. i'd like that.

a new way to bank. a better way to save. ally bank. your money needs an ally. nks a fraternity at morgan state university, stewart filed a formal complaint saying they would not accept him because he

was openly gay. this week historically black university put the chapter on probation for nearly two years saying the fraternity violated policies on discrimination. joining me now, ted johnson, fellow contributor as well as thegrio. thank you so much for joining u. ted. >> thanks for having me. >> as i understand it, the school has reacted by having a number of campuswide discussions about discrimination against gay people and they've also pushed a number of i guess educational efforts here at the college. but you've written about this and say this exposes a larger problem. >> yeah, absolutely. i mean, what we have here in our organization that are historic in nature and have been around almost a century, some over a century. and the fraternities quite frankly have a problem with meshing manhood and

homosexuality. this is especially true in the hyper masculine entities that they are. you have an organization that wants to bring up real men and it just seems like to some that the gay man can't fit that mold. that's when the organizations really need to evolve and understand that they can absolutely keep their historic traditions that have attracted hundreds and thousands if not millions of african-americans over the last century and still evolve to be more inclusive. these were founded because they were drim discriminated against and not able to join white fraternities and or attend all of the white universities at the time. so two of the first three organizations that were founded here were founded on white campuses for that reason. the organization founded to be nondiscriminatory cannot perpetuate this sort of

discrimination when it comes to sexual orientation. >> the young man told the baltimore sun yesterday, i didn't know i was going to have no control. that my interview meant nothing, my achievements meant nothing because they already made up their minds here. you talk about the hyper masculine environment and it sounds exactly how people describe, for example, sports and what we see in some of the behavior in some sports. >> absolutely. these organizations came about to educate folks and to bond students around principles like scholarship and manhood and then they send those members back to the communities after they come back from college. unlike many white fraternities, black ones, it's a lifelong commitment and they are just as active and undergraduate ones. it just so happens that these student in question here was inspired by members of the fraternity in high school.

so on top of that, he was given a scholarship by the -- to attend morgan state. to a person awarded a scholarship to attend college for this on behalf of this organization then being told that he's not their kind of people, it's insulting. you have -- you hit it on the heads. sports goes through this and military goes through this. you can still adhere to historic traditions and military has done it and many athletes coming out and they are accepted, this is a huge problem. >> morgan state had two campus wide discussions and say hundreds of participants showed up and that is a step forward here on that campus. thank you very much. it's certainly an interesting story. thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> a 14-year-old massachusetts boy accused of killing his teacher in court today. that tops our look at stories

around the news nation. he pled not guilty. her body was found in the woods near the school along with a handwritten note reading, i hate you all. he is charged with first degree murder, aggravated rape and robbery. the coroners report has been released for paul walker, it determined he died from traumatic injuries. meanwhile, universal has temporarily shut down production of fast and furious seven saying they will assess all options available to move forward with the franchise. pittsburgh steelers head coach mike tomlin has been fined $100,000 by the nfl for stepping onto the field and interrupting the play in last thursday's game against the ravens. nfl said it is still considering other punishments including stripping the steelers of a

future draft pick. rescue crews are working to help 30 or so pilot whales restranded in the florida everglades. they are very far from the natural habitat in the gulf and shallow waters will make it difficult to move them back. already six whales have died after ten of them beached themselves on the sand yesterday. still ahead, dick cheney said he was surprised by his daughters feud over same-sex marriage. plus, it is our "news nation" gut check on judge's decision to release the 911 recordings from the sandy hook massacre despite strong objections from the community and newtown parents. we want your thoughts. [ paper rustles, outdoor sounds ]

♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. on the table by not choosing the right medicare d plan. no one could have left this much money here. whoo-hoo-hoo! yet many seniors who compare medicare d plans realize they can save hundreds of dollars. cvs/pharmacy wants to help you save on medicare expenses.

talk to your cvs pharmacist, call, or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized plan comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today. it fills you with energy... and it gives you what you are looking for to live a more natural life. in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley. nature at its most delicious.

there's a lot going on today. here are some things we thought you should know. former vice president dick cheney is diving into the riff between his two daughters over same-sex marriage. mary cheney married to a woman, her sister does not support same-sex marriage. the former vice president called the public feud a difficult time for family. >> we're surprised when there was an attack launched against liz on facebook and wished it hadn't happened and do believe we dealt with the situation for many years. and it's always been dealt with within the context of the family and frankly that's our

preference. >> that's one of the things we thought you should know. time for the "news nation" gut check. we started out reporting that the 911 calls from last december's shooting rampage at sandy hook are being released after a lengthy court battle. should the 911 calls have been released? this is a judge's decision. go to newsnation.msnbc.com to cast that vote. i'm tamron hall and we'll see you tomorrow. "the cycle" is up next. ttvwkun+ paws off pal. just one squeeze? just enjoy it with your eyes. [ female announcer ] new charmin ultra soft is so soft, you don't even have to squeeze it to believe it. for the first time, you can actually see the softness with our new comfort cushions. new charmin ultra soft is still so much softer and more absorbent, you can use up to four times less. i believe it, but i still gotta squeeze it. [ female announcer ] used by more plumbers, charmin is now clog-free or it's free.

yeah.

i heard about progressive's "name your price" tool? i guess you can tell them how much you want to pay and it gives you a range of options to choose from. huh? i'm looking at it right now. oh, yeah? yeah. what's the... guest room situation? the "name your price" tool, making the world a little more progressive. here are the stories america is talking about today. the 911 calls within last hour the were released. valuable lessons about the sponsor do they open up old wounds. >> the economy, best jobs news in a year and new assurances from the fed. i'm krystal ball. why so sad, wall street? >> president obama tries to

rally the facebook generation to like the health care law. this afternoon they've got an open mike straight to the oval office. >> and the big chill. we get it, it's december. but this is something else. i'm abbi huntsman, snow and temperatures 40 degrees below normal. we have friends at the weather channel to tell us. >> there's just one hour until wall street closes and the markets are lower and if that's extending three days of losses on the dow and s&p. why the change? there are a few possible reasons. the government's unemployment report comes out on friday. and some expect a gain of 215,000 jobs in november. that's according to an adp estimate and well above expectatio expectations. good news in the real economy could make the fed